The transfer portal may be closed for players to enter, but Tennessee football is still looking to bring in talent all over the field. One of the latest transfer targets to land on the Vols’ board has the ability to make an impact on both offense and defense.
Out of Colorado, Isaiah Hardge tells RTI that he is currently on a visit to Tennessee. He just completed his redshirt-sophomore season and will have two years of eligibility remaining.
Hardge played both wide receiver and cornerback for the Buffs in 2025. As a receiver in the slot, he played a total of 68 snaps and recorded five receptions for 37 yards. He also recorded one rush attempt. At cornerback, he played 97 snaps, mostly against Arizona State and Kansas State. He posted 14 tackles on the year.
Hardge also has the ability to be a returner, which is an opening on the Vols’ roster, as well. He took one punt return for 17 yards and a kick return for 43 in 2024 as a redshirt-freshman.
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During that 2024 season, Hardge played in 11 games, including the final 10 of the year. He was one of three players on Colorado to play on both offense and defense, of course, joining Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter in that group.
He played in just three games as a true freshman in 2023, giving him a redshirt. As a high school recruit, he was a consensus three-star prospect, who was considered a wide receiver.
If Hardge does commit to Tennessee, it’ll be interesting to see how Josh Heupel looks to use him. The Vols return SEC Freshman of the Year Braylon Staley in the slot after signing a new deal to return to Knoxville. He played nearly every snap last season, but didn’t have much depth behind him.
In the secondary, Tennessee has loaded up on talent for Jim Knowles’ first year as defensive coordinator. Hardge’s athleticism could lead to him being a rotational option with Ty Redmond and incoming transfer from Auburn, Kayin Lee, at cornerback. He could also carve out a role as a returner on special teams.
Tennessee has looked to play both Dee Williams and Boo Carter both ways in Heupel’s tenure, but neither worked out. Williams attempted to learn the offense too late into the season, and Carter got in trouble in the offseason, taking offense off the table. The Vols also recruited Salesi Moa as a two-way player, but he flipped to Utah and later transferred to Michigan.
